CorporealSemiotics:TheBodyoftheText/theTextoftheBody 393
tracesoneofthesidelinesoftheTrojanWarmyth.Philoctetes,whohas
inherited the bows and arrows of Heracles, an "intelligent weapon"
avantlalettrethatwouldnevermissitsaim,isonhiswaytoTroywhen
he is struck with a painful wound. Unnerved by his constant groaning
and wailing, his companions, chief among them Odysseus, decide to
leave him behind all by himself on the island of Lemnos. When the
Greek war effort stalls and a seer reveals that Troy will only be
conquered with the help of Heracles' bow and arrow, Odysses and his
companion Neoptolemos are on their way to Lemnos to persuade
Philoctetes to give up his prized weapons. This is the context from
whichthequotedsceneistaken.
Neoptolemos:
Whydoyougroanlikethisandcallonthegods?
Philoctetes:
Thattheymaycometomewithpowertosaveandsoothe.—Ai!Ai!
Neoptolemos:
What troubles you? Speak, do not keep so silent. It is plain enough that
youaresufferingsomehow.
Philoctetes:
I am destroyed, boy—I can never conceal my suffering when you are
close.
Ah!Ah!Itshootsthroughme,shootsstraightthrough!Oh,thepain,the
misery!
Iamdestroyed,boy—Iamdevoured!
Ah,
bythegodsIbegyou,
ifyouhaveaswordreadytohand,strikeatmyankle—cutitoffnow!
Donotsparemylife!
Quick,boy,quick!(Philoctetes735-50)
Νεοπτόλεμος:
τίτοὺςθεοὺςὡ̃δ‘ἀναστένωνκαλει̃ς;
Φιλοκτήτης:
σωτη̃ραςαὐτο ὺςἠπί ουςθ' ἡμι̃ νμολει̃ν.––ἀα̃,ἀα̃.
Νεοπτόλεμος:
τίποτεπέπονθας;οὐκἐρει̃ς,ἀλλ'ὡ̃δ'ἔσει
σιγηλός;ἐν κακῳ̃δέτῳφαίνεικυρω̃ν.
Φιλοκτήτης: